"On the hunt for an airport manager, town advised to pay more"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Saturday, February 9, 2008

On the hunt for an airport manager, town advised to pay more
By HEATHER SACKETT
The Saranac Lake (NY) Adirondack Daily Enterprise


SARANAC LAKE - If the Harrietstown Town Board wants to attract qualified
candidates for the Adirondack Regional Airport manager job, it must raise
the salary to be more competitive. That's what the search committee told
board members at a special meeting Friday.

The search committee is made up of four community members: Red Carpet Team
Chairman and Airport Marketing Team member Keith Wells, Webster Parker, Lutz
Gosser and Plattsburgh International Airport Manager and former Adirondack
Regional Airport Manager Chris Kreig. 

"Forty-eight thousand dollars is not anywhere near attracting top-quality
candidates," Wells said. "We urge the board to consider what is an
appropriate salary."

Wells said that after conducting a telephone interview, the committee
recommends interviewing a candidate from Hayward, Calif., near Oakland on
the San Francisco Bay. The candidate's current salary as an airport manager
on the west coast is $87,000. Wells said he is also interviewing for a
position at the airport in Glens Falls where the salary would be about
$60,000. 

The search committee also recommended that if the board plans on conducting
a nationwide search, the town should pay for travel expenses of
interviewees. He also said that if a candidate from California or another
location outside the immediate area is hired, the town should pay for his or
her moving expenses. Wells said it is "unthinkable" for a private business
to expect a candidate to pay travel and moving expenses.

"In the business world, it is not done," he said. 

Wells said that in this case, the candidate has family in New York state and
would be willing to pay the expense of traveling here to do an interview
with the board. The candidate will be interviewing at the airport in Glens
Falls at the same time. Wells added that the candidate indicated to the
search committee that he would be willing to accept a lower salary with the
understanding that the cost of living is not as expensive in the Adirondacks
as it is in California.

The airport manager position had been vacant since Kreig resigned in
November. William Gutersloh was hired as temporary manager in January until
a replacement for Kreig is found.

Wells told the board there were 12 application submissions and that, from
those, three were selected by the committee for interviews, including town
Councilman Barry DeFuria. DeFuria, however, did not meet the eligibility
requirements outlined by Franklin County Civil Service. Wells said DeFuria's
years of volunteerism at the airport did not meet the experience
requirements.

The board then went into executive session to discuss hiring an assistant
airport manager.

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